Before Bait, the search for a new James Bond had already caused ample confusion, with controversies ranging from height requirements to skin color, and internet speculation that made one feel like watching a spy thriller. Riz Ahmed throws his hat in the ring by turning the industry’s turbulent casting chaos into a witty and humorous comedy series that reflects the collective fascination with it. 

Zooming into an actor's perspective towards 007, Bait reveals the ridiculousness hidden under that glamorous veil in a brand new trailer for the show.

The first preview of Riz Ahmed's new series, Bait, presents Ahmed in the role of Shah Latif, an actor toiling in his daily life and going through a rollercoaster after landing an audition of a lifetime. The teaser outlines a brown family chaos with high energy and humorous perspectives that capture the nuances of behind-the-screens life of a struggling brown actor's potential rise to fame. Could Shah be the next James Bond?

In the teaser, Shah’s relatives react to the rumor that he might become the next 007. Their mixed feelings of joy and disbelief point to the comedy studded with emotional intricacies, offering a clash between Shah’s personal dreams and the family’s expectations.

The imagery in the trailer emphasizes the meta-satire. Riz Ahmed's Shah, learning he could be the first brown James Bond, and immediately facing hysterical incidents, alludes to the fact that fame or the quest for it can turn one’s life upside down in no time.

Along with Guz Khan (Taskmaster), Sheeba Chaddha (Hamlet, Delhi-6, Gully Boy), Sajid Hasan (A Mighty Heart, Dhoop Kinare), Aasiya Shah (Bloods), Weruche Opia (Black Mirror), and Ritu Arya (The Umbrella Academy, Barbie) providing supporting roles, the narration gets all the spices it needs to elevate this studio comedy into a masterpiece. Very soon, the audience will get to see how Shah’s friends and family react to the sudden development in his faltering career amidst the audition frenzy. 

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James Bond casting is taking so long that Riz Ahmed wrote a whole show about it, and the wait for Bait is almost over.

Bait drops on March 25, 2026. All six episodes will be available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video in over 240 countries and territories. 

"I've wanted to tell this story for a long time. It's personal, bold, and a lot of fun. It feels so good to be writing and creating it now with this incredible team," Riz Ahmed told British Comedy Guide, upon materializing his vision as a writer and executive producer of the show.

The series utilizes the currently controversial James Bond casting issue, which has churned up varied betting figures and hypotheses, as the main source of humor and satire. Fans and the media have speculated about Bond's race, age, height, and suitability without end, thus turning the casting that was once straightforward into an ongoing public conversation. Bait takes that energy and mixes it with the universal themes of ambition, identity, and validation.

At a cultural moment when even the news of casting becomes a controversy, Bait vows to transform this obsession with 007 into six episodes of not only entertainingly self-aware but also truly humorous comedy.

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Are you excited to watch how a brown 007 would pan out in Bait? Let us know in the comments below.